The souvenirs on offer in Barcelona's gift shops range from tasteful reminders of local artists and architects such as Picasso, Gaudí or Miró to tacky, wide-brimmed Mexican sombreros and posters of footballers such as Lionel Messi.

But the latest souvenir is a set of lapel badges and fridge magnets deemed so subversive by the city hall that they have been banned from municipal museum shops.

The badges depict local scenes that are familiar to both city residents and visitors. They show bag-snatchers, prostitutes, street alcohol vendors and, in a reference to the brutality with which recent demonstrations have been treated, the local riot police.

The badges have been on sale in gift shops at the city's fashionable contemporary arts centre, the Macba, designed by prize-winning American architect Richard Meier, and at the Barcelona History Museum.

But now orders have been issued for them to be removed from the city hall-controlled history museum before they damage the tourist industry.

"This is not the image that the city wishes to project," said a spokesman.

The company which runs both museum shops has also been asked to explain to Macba why it is selling the souvenirs.